For several years, Mr. Seymour was the principal and also a teacher at the school in Fancy, Saint Vincent. He lived in Dickson Village, about sixteen miles south of Fancy, on a windy, mountainous, costal road.
Back in the early 1980s there were fewer motor vehicles in Saint Vincent than there are now, so he would walk every Sunday evening from his home in Dickson Village to the room where he would stay during the school week in Fancy. He would walk back home again on Friday evening. Most principals before him who had lived a long way from Fancy had traveled there on Monday and returned early Friday. However, Mr. Seymour was a faithful teacher and principal and wanted to be in the classroom and at his desk five full days a week.
As a result of these weekly trips from Dickson Village to Fancy and back again, Mr. Seymour got to know the road very well. He felt at times that he could walk it with his eyes closed in spite of its twists and turns and ups and downs. But let me tell you what happened one Sunday evening, as Mr. Seymour told me the story.
After teaching a large Sunday school in Dickson Village every Sunday afternoon from 3 to 4 p.m., Mr. Seymour would pack several things into his backpack, say good-bye to his family and head down the road and over the mountains on his sixteen-mile walk to Fancy. In his backpack would be some food items, his school books, clothing, a Bible, gospel tracts and a very important flashlight. In the tropics it gets dark by 6 p.m. and so most of the walk was done in total blackness. There were no street lights. This made his flashlight necessary for staying on the road and making it safely to the room where he stayed. However, on this particular evening he decided he did not need his trusty torch (as it is called in the West Indies). As he said later, he was sure he knew the road well enough to go without using the flashlight.
As he reached the last hill to Fancy, he was feeling very pleased with himself and proud that he had not had to use his flashlight, even though the sky had clouded over and it had started to drizzle rain. And even though it had been a long walk, he got a fresh burst of energy and began jogging up that last hill, which had many twists and bends. Suddenly it seemed he was jogging in midair. He had missed the last hairpin turn and had gone over the very steep bank. Far below was the sea and jagged rocks! But the Lord was merciful, and Mr. Seymour only fell about twenty feet and was not seriously injured. He was able to grab hold of the vegetation and rocks to break his fall and then scramble back up to the road. His injures were very slight, and from that time on he never again failed to use his flashlight.
God has given us the best light, His wonderful Word, the Bible. “The entrance of Thy words giveth light” (Psalm 119:130130The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple. (Psalm 119:130)). The Bible gives us light to show us how we can be saved, as well as how we can live to please the Lord Jesus. “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105105NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. (Psalm 119:105)). Sad to say, many people have rejected the light of God’s Word and have chosen their own way. That is the way of death and eternal sorrow. “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Proverbs 16:2525There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. (Proverbs 16:25)). Mr. Seymour almost lost his life because he failed to use the light he was carrying in his backpack. But even more serious than that is to end up in hell because we refuse the light of God’s Word. And for believers, we can make a mess of our lives if we do not follow the light God has given us for everyday Christian living.
Mr. Seymour would often tell this story to the boys and girls in Sunday school and gospel meetings, and for many years he was known in that area of the island as the “Flashlight Man.”
ML-05/13/2012